Radiofrequency Ablation: Textbook explanation

Radiofrequency Ablation

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation is a nonsurgical procedure used to treat some types of rapid heart beating. It's most often used to treat supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. These are rapid, uncoordinated heartbeats. They start in the heart's upper chambers (atria) or middle region (AV node or the very beginning portion of the heart's electrical system).

How is radiofrequency ablation done?

A physician guides a catheter with an electrode at its tip to the area of heart muscle where there's an accessory (extra) pathway. The catheter is guided with real-time, moving X-rays (fluoroscopy) displayed on a video screen. The procedure helps the doctor place the catheter at the exact site inside the heart where cells give off the electrical signals that stimulate the abnormal heart rhythm. Then a mild, painless radiofrequency energy (similar to microwave heat) is transmitted to the pathway. This destroys carefully selected heart muscle cells in a very small area (about 1/5 of an inch). That stops the area from conducting the extra impulses that caused the rapid heartbeats.

How common is this procedure?

Radiofrequency ablation is widely used. It's the preferred treatment for many types of rapid heartbeats. It has a success rate of over 90 percent and a low risk of complications. Patients who have this done can resume normal activities in a few days. It causes little or no discomfort and is done under mild sedation with local anesthesia.

See the Related Items box above for links to the Cardiology Patient Page in Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association:

• Catheter Ablation of Arrhythmias
• Supraventricular Tachycardia

Sunday Night: Pics I Promised

Thanks, St. Luke's






I don't have any dialogue tonight. Just watching the Oscars and getting ready for sleep. Here are some photos I took in the hospital.

Helen's Home from the Hospital

That's my heart rate in the ER at 113 (that's normal in this situation), after the second SVT reset after only one doses of adenosine. The first SVT was around 195 (took 2 doses of adenosine) and lasted around 3 hours (started at 0900 at work and took me 1 3/4 hours to decide to go to work medical, where I have gone before but couldn't capture on the EKG, to being told to go to the ER by my Cardio's partner whom my work Doctortracked down), the second time at 200pm was up to 220 but only last minutes because I was already in the ER when it happened. I say minutes, probably 120 seconds at most. (You know when you're lying in your stretcher and you feel your heart start to race again, I call it "skip then run", then I said uh-oh something doesn't feel right, and then the device starts honking really loud? And the nurse who was about to give you an IV because you are complaining that you are thirsty but they won't give you water, looks up and says, "Yup, it's happening again" and than fast walks out? That's a cool feeling. The doc with about 5 others walked in and he said with a smile, "let's do this again") (Oh, and when you are all watching the monitor as your body is flush and shaking then your heart drops from 220 to 180 to 150 to 120 to 80 to 70, then pauses and shoots up to 100 and steadys. And I said, woah that felt weird or something like that. I might have said wow that looked scary for a second. The doc says that's what it is supposed to do, but reminded me why they put the sticky paddles on my chest as a "precaution")(the whole thing lasted maybe 5 seconds) sticky paddle:



I'll post more details and pics tomorrow (yes I took many pics), but needless to say I am happy and healthy to be home. Time to treat this treatable thing instead of ignoring it and waiting for it to go away. Now I know what happens when it doesn't go away - you wish you wore matching socks to work (more on that below).

It's called Superventricular Tachychardia (SVT)(link to my hospital that treated me - did you know Mom volunteered there?) and it is the healthiest form of heart chardia you want, because it is the kind you don't drop dead from and is very treatable by meds or a simple procedure called Radiofrequency Ablation.

I'll tell the fun details tomorrow, but remember always wear clean underwear? I learned always make sure your socks matched your shoes. My shoes and pants were black and my socks were blue, I paused for like half a second, shrug my shoulders and went to work. Not ever, not ever again!

You know, the whole time they were treating me (there were at least 8 people but that's for tomorrow), My feet were like this. They didn't touch the shoes. You notice the pen and the sheet? The whole time the OCD person in me was trying really hard not to cause the pen or sheet to fall. Note awkward right foot:



Here, after it was finally calm and clear (ok above was after too because I didn't have my camera the first time but did the second, but no time to snap. But I managed to text a friend "it's back" with one hand at 206pm!)

Here, is the calm relaxed pose. I asked Steve, can you remove that pen and sheet? And he did. Sigh I was so relaxed after that. I think I was there for another 2 hours in this position calling all of you or calling work to conference you or deciding NOT to call the parents until I see the doctor or get my private room. Sorry mom and dad! I knew I was ok!



More tomorrow, unless I get the urge tonight. I got some TV to catch up on!

ETA: OWWWW! It shouldn't hurt more pulling off the band aid then putting in OR taking out the IV!! OWWW!

Racist Monkey Post:: Monkey, Typewriters and Shakespeare

So everyone is calling this cartoon racist ( they just killed a chimp). Because whenever you refer to a monkey, you are calling a black man a monkey. I understand it is offensive to call a black man a monkey. But when I heard about this controversy, I immediately thought of the idea, you can put an infinite number of monkeys in a room with an infinite number of typewriters, and they could write Shakespeare. Or the stimulus bill

\

Allegedly, not thinking this cartoon is racist makes you a racist! Whatever...

Drunk man loses leg by falling in the tracks, Wins Millions

This is why I hate fucking everybody right now. Fuck the people getting their mortgages reduced, their principals reduced, their rates reduced. Fuck me for being responsible with money:

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Manhattan jury awarded $2.33 million to a man who lost his leg after drunkenly stumbling onto the path of an oncoming subway train.

Dustin Dibble fell on New York subway tracks, was hit by a train and had his leg severed in 2006.

Dustin Dibble, 25, landed in the subway tracks after a late night watching a hockey game at a bar with friends April 23, 2006. A downtown N train ran over him, severing his right leg.

According to Dibble's lawyer, Andrew Smiley, NYC Transit rather than Dibble bore primary responsibility for the accident because the subway driver had time to stop the train but did not.

Smiley added that Dibble's drunkenness did not excuse the driver, who said in a court deposition that he mistook Dibble for an inert object.

"They don't get a free pass as to why the person was on the tracks. They are trained to be able to look out for people on the tracks ... and people are known to be intoxicated by night," the lawyer said.

Dibble's blood-alcohol level at the time of the accident was .18, according to his lawyer, more than twice the legal limit had he been behind the wheel of a car.

The jury ruled Tuesday that Dibble was 35 percent responsible for the accident, so his monetary compensation was also reduced by 35 percent -- from $3,594,943 to $2,336,713.

Digital TV Conversion

If you have one of these, you need to grow up. According to whatever stats, you are only 5% of the people out there.

Lazer Cat is Home

Home from DC: Helen had a great trip. First class all the way!!!!!!!!! Great results too. Laser cat was mad I left her for the night....

Helen's Going to DC

but I got nothing to post. My tenants say the dishwasher is broke. What? Am I supposed to do with that? I just said find a guy and fix it, I will pay for it. Landlording is tough work, especially when your property value gets cut in half, but the taxes go up!

Helen's Guest Post on Obama's Plan

It is a friend, I did not ask permission, but here goes the comment:

"This piece of shit legislation is going to completely screw us all. These assholes don't get it. Supply side works, not big government. That son of a bitch is touring the country casting the fear of god into people that no action will lead to the end of America as we know it. With all due respect sir, I will gladly accept responsible inaction over irresponsible reaction any day. There is so much shit in this bill it is not even funny. He wasted more money in a day than Bush did in eight years!"

Helen's In Calgary: Secure Briefcase Edition

I love Calgary, they are so nice here. Even the cab drivers are nice. Even the customs agents (with their asian accent) are nice.
Agent: "What is your business in Canada?"
me: "A meeting"
Agent: "What type of meeting?"
me: "Just a meeting (name drops company I work for)"
Agent: "Enjoy your stay"
Yeah, not exciting. But I've posted some pics.

This is the main street. Calgary is really small"




Considering I am here to teach about information protection, I need to practice it. This is my laptop bag, tethered to my hotel chair. You couldn't cut that with a knife. There's a lock there too. Also, the bag was made in China, so I am pretty sure that China already made the knife that can cut through the metal. And yes, if someone wants to steal my bag they can by taking the chair. But most laptops and corporate secrets are snatch and grabs, and this handy case mitigates that:

This is my portraite of legroom. If you ain't in first class, this is the best seat in the house. The second best seat in the house is the guy next to my feet, which is where I will be sitting next week for my flight to DC. Unless, of course, I get upgraded.

Haven't Posted, addicted to Facebook

My car is in the shop. Pretty cool photos: I have a new name for my car, Two Face!

For those who don't know the story, my car was parked in a parking lot. I was walking to said car. I watched Chevy Tahoe back into my car. Hey, new bumper! I scratched light, new bumper and paint job = $2000, thanks Progressive! I'm kind of excited because the car is 8 years old and I feel like it is getting a facelift, free! And, the car shop is across the street from my house, so I snapped these pics on Friday when I was driving home.

Google Latitude

I think this idea is really cool. Let's say all your friends are meeting somewhere, and you want to see who is there and who is close. Google Latitude. You can set privacy settings and agree or disagree who you share with, so I see it as a proactive tool to help arrangements in a day. It's not intended to be full time broadcast of GPS, but I guess it could be.

Example, our global conference was in Vancouver. Every evening we traded endless texts like "where you at" or "where you going". Enable this, and voila! I love all things google. Google Earth, maps, iGoogle and Desktop. And whatever tracks my search history - I can't remember what site I read that article about widgets, but I can go to tracking and type in widgets and it will tell me all sites I visited regarding widgets.

Not recommended for international or domestic terrorists, or liars or cheaters who don't trust themselves or significant others.

Cute Ketteh

If you post a video of a kitty doing something funny, and promise that kitty not hurt, than it's cute right, RIGHT?

Digital TV Conversion

Did you know, that it is discrimination? I mean they have only been planning for 10 years. And giving away free coupons to "lower income, elderly" people to get the converter.

Seriously it is like calling the internet discriminatory, because people have to actually own a computer to get it!

/rant

Super Bowl Office episode: Boom, Roasted!

I am excited that NBC hyped hulu during the commercials yesterday. Hulu is tv on your computer, free. It has almost all NBC, Universal, and USA shows. You can watch every episode of Arrested Development. Anyway, here is last night's Office episode, if you DVR'd it you missed the last 10 minutes (and best, aw).

Helen's Post-Super Bowl Post

What a great game! Till the bitter end! I really wanted Arizona to take it but I will take that ending and the points, thank you. Yes I had $300 on the game with 6 1/2 which means I won! Yay, Helen!

That was a great catch - we all thought he was out but he wasn't. I had my cajun friends over and we ate well and enjoyed the game.

Now I'm watching The Office episode.